Our story
Cheesemaking has been in the blood of the Butler family for three generations, each playing a vital role in making Butlers what it has become today.
Richard and Annie Butler purchased Lower Barker Farm in Inglewhite, Lancashire in 1932. With a dairy herd of their own, it seemed the perfect move to start making cheese to sell at the local markets. Every ounce of space was utilized, with the handmade cheeses being lovingly matured in one of the farmhouse bedrooms! Richard and Annie had four sons; Peter, Tom, Robert and Dick each of whom went on to play their part in the development of the family business.
Following an interruption during the war and early years afterwards, the family extended their farming interests around Inglewhite to allow each of the sons their own farm. Peter who farmed Blacksticks Farm continued the cheesemaking using his own milk.
In 1969, Tom with his wife Jean took over Lower Barker Farm. Jean turned her hand to cheesemaking, picking up the gauntlet from Peter whilst the milk for the cheeses continued to come from the family farms.
As the family business thrived, the dairy moved across the road to Wilson Fields Farm in Inglewhite. The range of handmade cheeses developed, the list of awards started to pile up, the number of people employed grew and the business even spilled over into Wilsons Fields Farmhouse as every inch of space was utilized! It was time for the third generation to become involved as Jean’s daughter Gillian and her husband took their places, bringing in much needed technical and marketing skills.
One final piece to the Butlers jigsaw is Ravens Oak Dairy in Burland, Cheshire. Bought from founder Sandra Allwood, this little dairy allows Butlers to use a little bit of rural Cheshire to focus on handmade artisan cheeses using a variety of local milks including goats milk and Guernsey cows milk. Ravens Oak Dairy reflects all of the qualities and values that the Butlers success was built on and so compliments the cheesemaking at Inglewhite perfectly.
And so the Butlers story unfolds. Jean Butler remains involved in Throstle Nest Farm whilst the third generation of Butlers continue to be very active throughout the farms and dairies. The younger fourth generation wait for their chance to take this unique family business forward, whilst always retaining the strengths that were originally established by their Great Grandparents back in 1932.
